


Zoning Out (Guardians of the Galaxy)

by CallMeGrace101



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Other, Peter has daddy issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-11
Updated: 2015-06-11
Packaged: 2018-04-03 22:51:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4117633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallMeGrace101/pseuds/CallMeGrace101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's just something Terrans do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Memories from Mom

As the _Malino_  zoomed through the foamy dust and stars of the unknown cosmos, a single man awoke from his sleep. Peter Quill stared at the ceiling for a moment. The images that swam through his mind clouded his senses in remorse. Star-Lord then got to his feet, and mounted the stairs, leaving his quarters.

In the corridor, he gave a weak smile and wave to Rocket, who grinned back. Groot, the tree-like being, waved from his little pot. Peter continued on, his footsteps quiet. He reached into his pocket and fished out his Walkman and headphones. Placing them snugly about his head, the former Ravager upped the volume and clambored into the captain seat, then took the wheel.

Meanwhile, Gamora strode through the hallway, her long hair flickering about in time to her footsteps. She nodded to a shirtless man with cobalt skin and swirling red tattoos, who was wiping off a wicked dagger into a cloth. "Hello, Drax," she said, smiling briefly. He returned the smile, pausing in his work. "Greetings, friend Gamora. Are you of good health as of late?" She chuckled. "I'm alright, thank you." The assassin glanced around. "Have you seen Peter anywhere?" Drax shook his head. "Unfortunately, I have not. He ought to have made his presence known by now. That alone is odd." Gamora hummed in acknowledgement. "Well, thanks anyway." She resumed her walk, which eventually led her to the cockpit. There, she found the Star-Lord, who sat steering the _Malino,_  his eyes blank and distant, fixated only on the endless dark before him. Gamora could faintly hear the serene melody that played from the tiny orange earphones. The woman reached forward, resting her hand lightly on the headrest of the seat. "Peter?" She called quietly.

In the memory, A woman sat with her young child on a rolling hill, the grass swaying to the whispering tune of the wind. The mother and son stared up at the perfect blue sky, watching as the puffy clouds moved slowly through the heavens. "Mommy?" the boy began, facing the woman. He studied her beautiful, familiar features; the soft contour of her cheekbone and jaw, the plump rose of her lips, and her pale, flawless complexion. His heart sank at the bandanna that was wound around her thinning hair. "Yes, Peter?" Meredith Quill turned to her son. "Why don't I have a daddy?" She laughed softly. "What do you mean, honey?" A pouting frown creased the boy's young features. "All my friends have dads, ones who play with them and help them, and.." he averted his gaze. "It's just not fair," he whispered sadly.

Meredith reached out and cupped her son's cheek, brushing away the angry tears from his eyes. She pulled him close, stroking his hair affectionately, placing a kiss in his curly locks. "Oh, Peter," she sighed. "Of _course_  you have a daddy. He loves you very much, too. But..he has to love you from a distance. Okay?" Peter looked up into his mother's eyes. "Okay." He buried himself in her chest. "I love you, mommy." He could feel the laughter that hummed from her skin. "I love you too, my little Star-Lord."

The scene shifted. Meredith had completely lost all of her hair, showing her deathly pale skin that seemed to cling to her lithe frame. Her breath came in harsh gasps. "Peter, take my hand," she begged, tears forming in the corners of her pale eyes. Peter shook his head rapidly, whimpering in protest. The ECG machine began to beep erratically. "No, no, no!" Peter whispered.

Then, in horrible synchronization, Meredith's eyelids fell close, as the machine signaled its tell-tale flatline.

Peter lunged for his mother's lifeless body, screaming her name, to wake up,  _wake up...!_

"Peter?"

Gamora called again, leaning to the side. She tried to make the ex Ravager's eyes meet hers.

But, as she saw his face, Gamora saw the tears that streamed from Peter's eyes. She saw his chest shudder to his quiet sobs. The assassin looked down. A picture frame sat in his lap, in which Peter's thumb stroked the glass surface, smearing the fallen tears around on the covering.

Gamora leaned closer to the photo.

It was a picture of a woman and a young boy. She was beautiful, and youthfulness was clear in her face. Her features were as smooth as velvet. The boy had clearly inherited this trait; his hair was a mass of light curls that fell slightly in his bright eyes. The smile on his face was so happy; the love for his mother was perfectly etched into it. The embrace between them was tight and adoring.

A statement was carved into the frame: Meredith and Peter.

Gamora made the grave conclusion.

It was Peter and his mother.

Sighing softly, the woman sat in the opposite seat, and directed steering control to her wheel. She glanced at her motionless teammate, watching a single tear trickle from his eye. "I'm sorry, Peter," she whispered.

With that, Gamora directed herself to the endless haze of stars before her.


	2. Detest for Dad

A period of time had passes since the incident in the cockpit.

The group had assembled in the small ops room. They pored over a massive holographic map of the galaxy. "We've tried the southwest corner, so our best guess is to go for the east," Gamora reported, pointing at a highlighted area. "However, judging by the approximated distance, that could take a couple weeks, including refueling and rest stops." There was a clang of metal and a stream of colorful swearing as Peter fumed in a corner. "Woah, chill out, man. It was _your_ idea to go looking for your pops, remember?" Rocket mused. Peter turned to the cybernetic with a snarl. "Yeah, only so I can punch the bastard in the face with my own fist-!" Gamora held the Terran back gently. "Easy, tiger," she warned. "Save that energy for when we actually meet him." Peter shook her hand off harshly. Drax looked at his friend in wonder. "What is the cause of your rage, pray tell?" The room went deadly silent. "You _really_ want to know why I'd like nothing more than to personally take my old man to hell?!" Peter's voice was dangerously quiet. He faced Drax with a smoldering glare in his eyes. "That asshole abandoned me before I could crawl! He had the _gall_ to be off somewhere in the goddamn universe while..while.." Something died in his dark irises. Star-Lord spun on his heel and stormed out, his fists clenched and shaking. Gamora reached out. "Peter, wait-!" She ran after him. " _Leave me alone!!_ " He snarled, and ran faster.

Gamora skidded to a halt, watching his retreat. Peter had never spoken in such a hostile tone to any of them before. Or, at least, not like that.

The doors closed. Drax blinked, staring at his remaining friends in bewilderment. "What did Quill not want to say?" Rocket scoffed, but said nothing. Groot shrugged. "I am Groot," he replied in his tiny voice.

Peter sat down hard on his bed, breathing heavily. His hands moved fitfully in his lap. What was _wrong_  with him?! Peter never lost his composure in front of people.

Never, at least, like this.

Immersed in his thoughts, the former thief didn't hear the hesitant knock on his door. He was shaken from his reverie as he felt the bed shift softly with an added weight. He whirled to face the intruder, prepared to banish them with an angry protest.

The words died on his lips.

Gamora stared at him, as if she could see beyond his facade of joking and confidence. "Peter? Are you alright?" She asked softly. He recoiled sharply in shock. "Y-yeah, I'm fine!" He replied with an unconvincing grin. Gamora's irises solidified. "Don't lie to me, Quill," she cautioned scornfully.

Something about her tone made Star-Lord slump in defeat. "Do you remember what I told you that night in Knowhere? About..my.." "Your mother?" she finished, glancing at his shaky hands. "Yes, what about her?" Peter chewed his lower lip, his eyes darting about. He usually could talk about these things if he had something else to focus on.

Anything but the person's face.

"She...she died from a Terran disease called cancer when I was a kid." The words poured from him in a rush. Peter stopped in an attempt to compose himself, and continued, "The night she left was when Yondu sucked me up in his ship and left Earth. I couldn't go back; I was a hostage to him." The Ravager sighed, and let his eyes briefly meet Gamora's. "I'm sorry for what I said back there. I just..Dad never bothered to come back to see that, oh, hey, I have a son and a dying wife to take care of." He glared at the ground. "You can't expect me to want to be all buddy-buddy if I actually do find him."

Gamora smiled gently, her eyes sad. " I don't. I wouldn't be, either, if I were to be in your situation." A look of surprise flashed through Star-Lord's eyes. She gave him a crooked grin. "I'm still not going to be fooled by your 'pelvic sorcery'," she flashed air quotes at this, "but it appears that I do see you in a different light now." Peter laughed embarasssedly, rubbing his arm. "Thanks, I think." 

They stood, and made for the door. All of a sudden, Peter stumbled, and fell into Gamora, who's back slammed into the door. As to not topple completely onto the assassin, Peter braced his hands on either side of her head, effectively caging Gamora in with his arms. She stared at him in shock, his breath fluttering on her lips. Peter looked at her in fear. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-!" The former killer grasped Star-Lord by his t-shirt, smashing his lips against hers. "Fool," she muttered into the kiss, smiling.

Then, Peter was kissing her back, hard. He tilted his head and leaned closer, their chests pressed gently into each other. Gamora hissed in surprise, allowing the Terran to invade her mouth with his tongue, swirling it testily against hers. In return, the assassin let out a soft groan, lacing her arms around his neck, and burying her hands in the wavy curls of hair. They broke apart, panting slightly. Peter looked at Gamora with a half-lidded stare. "What was that about ignoring my pelvic sorcery?" He teased lowly. She chuckled, a wolfish grin playing at the corners of her mouth. "It seems I have been misled by that tactic. Perhaps you can show me new ones?" Peter laughed in reply, and reconnected his lips to hers.


	3. Tranquil times with Teammates

A couple of days had passed since the 'understanding' between Gamora and Peter. Things were running smoothly for the team again; Peter was in higher spirits; Drax took this as a sign to stop on a nearby planet for some hearty drinking, which resulted in a drunken fight-fest. Groot managed to grow enough to almost be out of his pot, much to Rocket's delight. In all honesty, the mood of the Guardians had improved.

On a particularly uneventful day, the Guardians were resorted to playing 'foolish Terran games', as Drax described it. Despite his comment, the man seemed all-too-eager to join in on the events. Peter had initiated a game of Poker after a somewhat violent episode of Truth or Dare. Surprisingly, Rocket managed to win with ease, claiming he'd just 'picked it up'. Star-Lord jokingly accused him it was due to his technological additions, and that, for a rodent, he had a pretty decent poker face. The cybernetic growled. "One more wrong move and I'll blast that smug look right off your damn face," he warned.

Groot smiled, calming his friend. "I am Groot," he apologized.

Somewhere along the way, Drax passed out from too much vodka in a drinking game against Peter. "I didn't think a Terran could hold his liquor so well," Gamora commented with a snicker. "Its a gift," Peter replied with fake seriousness. Rocket laughed harshly in disbelief. "More like a sick habit. Groot, help me drag this idiot away."

As the three left, Gamora smiled at Peter. "You seem happier, Quill," she noted. Star-Lord chuckled. "My charm must be getting to them." She rolled her eyes. "That's definitely the case," the assassin replied sarcastically. He put up his hands in defense. "I'm just saying. It always worked out for me, even on old Yondu. And we all know that guy's never gonna have any." Gamora scoffed, trying not to laugh. "That man has a band of Ravagers for 'charm'. I believe he has that factor under better control than you do, Star-Lord." Peter gasped in mock offense. "How cruel, miss Gamora!" They laughed, letting the room fall silent. "So, I guess I'll go get some rest. I think the drinks have gotten to me." He stood, and faced her. "Good night, Gamora." The former killer walked up to the ex-Ravager. She leaned in, kissing him briefly, letting their lips linger for a moment. "Sleep well, Star-Lord."

Peter lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as his mix tape played softly in his headset. It hadn't been too long ago that he and the Guardians had met in the prison, just as their adventure began. He smiled at the memory. They had had to band together to bust out of prison in persuit of the Orb. An assassin, a Ravager, A cybernetic, a living plant, and a man seeking revenge.

Not the best mix, but beggars can't be choosers, right?

They had to kick ass, nearly die, and almost get arrested in only a couple of days. All for the sake of the universe.

Star-Lord's memories turned to his abduction that night so many years ago. He remembered how cruelly the Ravager had treated him, how much they had bullied and trained him.

So much for tough love.

And, to think, here he was, all because of a cocky decision to betray Yondu and keep a universal force to sell for some stupid units.

 _Damn, time really has passed_.

The half-Terran knew that finding his father would take some time. Maybe, Peter could restrain himself from murdering the guy for not saving his mother. Then again, the period it took to locate the bastard could allow Peter to forgive his father.

Peter never made promises.

Suddenly, there was a knock at his door. Peter opened it, to find Gamora, staring at the ground bashfully. "Its..kinda lonely in my cabin..can I..I just.. I'm not in the mood for nightmares right now." Peter walked up to the assassin, kissing her forehead. "If you wanted to have a slumber party, all you had to do was ask." She looked up at him, a faint color in her cheeks. "You are still an idiot," she replied with a laugh. Together, the two lay in the bunk, listening to the quiet hum of the engine.

"Peter?"

"Yeah?"

"This is sort of like West Side Story." He hummed, and replied, "Except, I can't really dance like they can." Gamora hadn't heard him. Her calm breaths against his chest signaled that the woman had fallen asleep.

And, as Peter drifted into slumber, the Malino fell into a blissful silence among the stars.


End file.
